Compartmented insert for brief bags



NOV. 3, 1953 s. B. SILVERMAN COMPARTMENTED INSERT FOR BRIEF BAGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 2, 1950 M w m m 50/ 6. Silver/nan BY Nov. 3, 1953 s. B. SILVERMAN COMPARTMENTED INSERT FOR BRIEF BAGS Filed May 2, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 50!. 5. Si/uerman Patented Nov. 3, 1 953 COMPARTMENTED INSERT FOR BRIEF BAGS Sol B. Silverman, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Northwest Leather Goods 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application May 2, 1950, Serial No. 159,449

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a compartmented insert for inclusion with a brief bag.

salesmen of liquors and other bottled products are frequently obliged to carry sampling bottles for the accommodation of customers and prospects in appraising the product. Such bottles are desirably to be included in the brief bag in which the salesman carries price books, literature etc. Placing the bottles unprotected in the usual, wider, central compartment of the bag is obviously conducive to breakage, while temporary expedients such as cloth pads or odd pieces of cardboard or the like are inconvenient and unreliable.

Accordingly a principal object of my invention is the provision of a compartmented insert adapted to be instantaneously located in or removed from a compartment of a brief bag, and arranged to receive a plurality of bottles such as standard one-fifth gallon or quart liquor bottles.

Another object resides in providing an adjunct of the character aforesaid in which an individual compartment is provided for each bottle.

Still another object is to provide an insert as aforesaid in which the end walls of the brief case are relied upon to form the outer wall of each end compartment.

A further object resides in providing an insert in accordance with the foregoing objects which may be instantly collapsed for reducing the volume of the insert when not in use.

Generally regarded, the invention, in one aspect, comprises a pair of flat, rigid side panels of such width and height as to fit within the brief bag with which the adjunct may be employed. A plurality of partitions is secured to the side panels to define a number of compartments, each of which latter is adapted to receive a bottle. A fioor is also secured to the side panels to lend rigidity and to protect the bottles against breakage should the bag be put down roughly. For reasons of economy in manufacture no end walls are provided, the adjacent end wall portions of the brief bag serving to define the endmost compartments of the adjunct. In another aspect the invention contemplates a construction whereby the device may be rendered collapsible by providing the partitions and floor with weakened zones in order that the same may be readily folded, and the insert made to assume a flattened form.

In the drawings which show certain forms which the invention may assume in practice:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a plan view thereof in relation to the brief bag;

Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 shows a perspective View of a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 5 shows a plan view of that form of the invention depicted in Fig. 4, but in collapsed condition;

Fig. 6 shows an end view of the device in the collapsed condition; and

Fig. 7 shows a cross-sectional detail taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 4.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, the invention insert comprises a pair of identical side panels or walls Ill-l0 of such width and height as to fit comfortably within, say, the central compartment of a brief bag II, and intermediate the usual subdividing gussets I2-l2. Forming a floor for the device is a bottom panel I4 downturned along its lateral margins to form flanges l5l5 abutting the panels Ill-I0 along the lower edge thereof and secured by sewing or otherwise.

subdividing the device into a plurality of compartments is a series of partitions IS, in this example, four in number, the endmost compartments being defined on the outside by the end walls of the brief bag. Each compartment is proportioned to receive an individual bottle, and as particularly indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. Partitions [6 are also bent marginally and sewed or otherwise secured to the side panels Ill-Ill in the same manner as floor I l.

The several members heretofore described may be made of any suitable light weight material, e. g. fiberboard covered with imitation leather. Moreover the several members may, if desired, be overlaid with suede-like cloth 2| (indicated by stippling) to cushion the bottles against shock.

From the foregoing it will have been comprehended that I have provided a simple, lightweight inexpensive adjunct for a salesmans brief bag for the safe carrying of bottled liq The device is arranged to be quickly placed in position or withdrawn therefrom, and may be readily manufactured in different sizes and arrangements of compartments.

A modified form of the invention is shown in Figs. 4 to 7, and is intended to be collapsed for economy f packaging the article, and, even if 3 left in the brief bag without bottles therein, to occupy minimum space therein.

To achieve such end the rigid side panels 10al0a, similar to those of the principal embodiment, are connected by a floor Ma and partitions lEa, except that the latter are spaced away from the floor [4a to permit collapsing the floor of the unit to a position intermediate the side walls. such result is accomplished by providing longitudinally disposed weakened zones 23 in each partition and the floor. The weakening may be accomplished by forming the members of a rigid core 24, e. g. fiberboard (Fig. '7) and interrupting the same as at 25. The core is faced on both sides with layers of imitation leather or cloth cemented thereon and to each other at the zone 25 to form a folding line or hinge.

It will be understood that the unit, when collapsed, will take substantially the fiat form shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in which condition the same may be shipped, carried or stored in a minimum volume. Moreover it will be comprehended that when all or some of the compartments are occupied by bottles, the unit will be expanded to the condition shown in Fig. 4, and with all of the advantages of that form of the invention described in connection with Fig. 1.

While I have shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and I therefore contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A compartmented insert for a brief bag comprising a pair of spaced-apart, parallelly dis-- posed, self-supporting side panels, a bottom panel extending between said side panels and hingedly secured thereto, and having a weakened central zone to facilitate folding upwardly of said bottom panel to a position intermediate said side panels, said side panels and bottom panel being coextensive lengthwise, a plurality of transverse dividing panels extending between said side panels and hingedly secured thereto, each said transverse panel having a weakened central zone aligned with said first-mentioned weakened zone to facilitate folding of said dividing panels simultaneously with the folding of said bottom panel, said transverse panels terminating short of the bottom panel a distance approximately equal to one-half the width of the bottom panel to clear the folded bottom panel, the endmost dividing panels being spaced inwardly of the ends of said side and bottom panels to provide a pair of four-walled end compartments and a plurality of five walled inner compartments, and the entire assembly being collapsible upon the folding of said panels.

2. A compartmented insert for a brief bag comprising a pair of spaced-apart, parallelly disposed, self-supporting side panels, a bottom panel extending between said side panels and having flanges for hingedly securing the same thereto and having a weakened central zone to facilitate folding upwardly of said bottom panel to a position intermediate said side panels, each said flange being coextensive with the lower edge of each said side panel and each said flange being abutted to an inner face of a side panel and secured thereto, said side panels and bottom panel being coextensive lengthwise, a plurality of trans verse dividing panels extending between said side panels and hingedly secured thereto, each said transverse panel having a weakened central zone aligned with said first-mentioned weakened zone to facilitate folding of said dividing panels simultaneously with the folding of said bottom panel, said transverse panels terminating short of the bottom panel a distance approximately equal to one-half the width of the bottom panel to clear the folded bottom panel, each said dividing panel having a pair of flanges each abutting the inner face of a side panel and hingedly secured thereto, the endmost dividing panels being spaced inwardly of the ends of said side and bottom panels to provide a pair of four-walled end compartments and a plurality of five walled inner compartments, and the entire assembly being collapsible upon the folding of said panels.

SOL B. SILVERMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 338,094 Martin Mar. 16, 1886 802,884 Purchas Oct. 24, 1905 901,858 Williams Oct. 20, 1908 1,940,900 Barnard Dec. 26, 1933 2,406,711 Ringler Aug. 2'7, 1946 2,556,341 Ringler June 12, 1951 

